Some of the bravest people I meet in my work as City Attorney are families who have lost a loved one to domestic violence. Every October, I join them to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month and remember the lives lost to this terrible crime. I meet people like Ivette Kuyateh, who was just eleven years old when her mother was shot and killed by her abuser. She found the strength to share her story with the world at an event in Balboa Park on October 2nd, which I was honored to attend.
October also marks the start of a new session of the United States Supreme Court. The Court is about to consider a case that is an affront to Ivette and all victims of domestic violence. It is an affront to common sense, decency, and the very fabric of our country.
That case – United States v. Rahimi – is a monumental case that could lead to catastrophic results for abuse victims.
Zackey Rahimi has threatened at least two women with gun violence and took part in at least 5 shootings in just 2 months around Arlington, Texas. The shootings occurred following a drug deal and as part of a road rage incident. One shooting even occurred after his friend’s credit card was declined at a Whataburger fast food restaurant. The only reason Mr. Rahimi is not holding a gun right now and presenting an active threat to others is because his guns were taken away. The domestic violence protection order one of his victims obtained prohibits Rahimi from possessing firearms. Now, the Supreme Court is considering giving him those weapons back.
As a member of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, I joined an amicus curiae briefing before the Supreme Court urging them not to tie the hands of prosecutors. Specifically, we should be able to seek protective orders that keep guns out of the hands of abusers. My office has obtained more than 1,000 Gun Violence Restraining Orders to separate truly dangerous individuals from their deadly weapons. That work has saved lives, and we have the evidence to show the program is working.
The link between domestic violence and gun violence goes far beyond the Rahimi case.
Time and again, mass shooters have begun their terror campaigns by killing a family member. This was the case in Sandy Hook, and it was the case in Uvalde. The presence of a gun in a home increases a domestic violence victim’s chance of being murdered by 500 percent. As the first woman and mother to lead the City Attorney’s Office, I made confronting domestic violence and gun violence my highest priorities. We will not shrink from this work, even as Washington holds its breath to see whether this Court will once again undermine the health and safety of women – exactly as they did a year ago by overturning reproductive rights and Roe v. Wade.
Those who have survived domestic violence have earned the right to be called survivors – not victims. In the same way, many Americans have survived the trauma inflicted by the fear of gun violence. Survivors understand the importance of action as part of the healing process. When we take action to stop someone like Mr. Rahimi from owning deadly weapons, we move one step closer to overcoming our national trauma and the gun violence epidemic. On behalf of Ivette Kuyateh and every domestic violence survivor, let’s keep moving forward and making progress. We owe them – and we owe ourselves – no less than this.
Mara Elliott is San Diego City Attorney.
